Production shift

Thailand shifts focus to high value-added economy

March 1, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Council ( NESDC ) has approved a framework for the country’s 13th national economic and social development plan , spanning from 2022 to 2026, with the focus placed on high value-added economic development.

The next national economic and social development plan should aim to provide Thailand a high value-added economy , according to the state planning unit.

This is an appropriate time for Thailand to restructure the manufacturing sector to focus more on high value-added activities, said Danucha Pichayanan, Secretary-General of the NESDC.

A high value-added economy focuses on those activities that generate a large margin between the final price of a product or service and the cost of the inputs used to produce it, thus creating higher profits for businesses and higher wages for workers.

He said under the 13th national plan, Thailand’s development will focus mainly on four areas over the next five years.

The first area is to restructure the industrial sector towards higher technology.

Danucha said companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand are still engaged in conventional industries, in contrast to those listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which contains high-technology companies.

Thailand needs to transform the manufacturing sector to higher value-added industry and high technology such as the bio-, circular, green economy, which can increase the value of farm products; electric vehicles, which can create supporting industries including smart electrical parts and a smart grid; and an emphasis on the medical industry, tourism, logistics and digital services, he said.

Danucha said Thailand should no longer focus on a high volume of foreign visitors, instead attempting to attract high-quality foreign visitors with relatively high spending.

The second area of the new plan is to build opportunity for Thais to have more security in their life, both in terms of income and well-being, in order to narrow income disparity, he noted.

Thirdly, the government needs to ramp up its support for community-based businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises, smart city development and a better environment, added Danucha.

The fourth area is high-quality workforce development, improvement of government management to facilitate investors, and public services, he said./.

VNA

Hai Duong to stop social distancing from March 3

March 1, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

Hai Duong to stop social distancing from March 3

The Saigon Times

A driver has his body temperature checked. Hai Duong Province will end the 15-day social distancing period from March 3 – PHOTO: TNO

HCMC – Hai Duong Province will end the 15-day social distancing period from March 3, Pham Xuan Thang, secretary of the provincial Party Committee, told a meeting today, March 1.

Up to now, Hai Duong Province has put Covid-19 under control, contributing to keeping the province and the country safe, Thang said.

Thang also praised local agencies, competent forces and residents for their efforts in the fight against Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, over the past 33 days.

It is not necessary to extend the social distancing period, he said, adding that the province will shift to a new period of taking drastic measures to prevent the disease while facilitating economic development, the local media reported.

To effectively ward off the disease, Kinh Mon Town, Kim Thanh and Cam Giang districts and Hai Duong City were told to follow Covid-19 infection prevention and control guidelines in line with the prime minister’s Directive 15.

The remaining eight districts – Binh Giang, Gia Loc, Nam Sach, Ninh Giang, Thanh Ha, Thanh Mien, Tu Ky and Chi Linh City – will continue anti-Covid-19 measures in line with the prime minister’s Directive 19. These districts and the city were allowed to adjust social and business activities to make them suitable to their situation and minimize the impact on the economy, goods transportation and production.

Northwest region: passion fruit brings high profit

March 1, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

There are no barren cassava and maize fields as seen in the past on hillsides in Mo Cong hamlet in Son La province. The hills are now covered with passion fruit, bringing growers billions of dong a year.

Northwest region: passion fruit brings high profit

On pre-Tet days, Thao A Ho in Mo Cong hamlet was still busy working in his field taking care of passion fruit trees. The work took him only half a day, while he spent the other half going to market to do shopping for Tet.

According to Ho, Mo Cong’s people were happy as they have collected big money from yellow passion fruit sale. Ho has earned VND100 million, while households which have larger growing areas could earn up to VND500 million.

In the past, Ho grew cassava on an area of two hectares, which bring little money. Later, he shifted to grow purple passion fruit, but the price of this fruit has always been low in the last years. He last year sold purple passion fruit at VND2,000-3,000 per kilogram only.

He tried to grow 400 yellow passion fruit trees on an area of 0.5 hectares. Though he harvested 10 tons of this fruit, he still could earn big money thanks to the high price. So, he and his family members had a comfortable Tet holiday.

The passion fruit is farmed in accordance with VietGAP standards. An enterprise provides standard seeds, fertilizer, bioproducts and technical officers to farmers and commits to collect all passion fruit output if farmers strictly observe their instructions.

Farmers don’t have to make high investments to grow passion fruit.

“The passion fruit tree can bring higher profit than maize, and it is not a strenuous work,” he said.

Also according to Ho, there are tens of households in the hamlet cooperating with the enterprise to grow yellow passion fruit.

Sung A Dinh, 28, has become a DONG? millionaire in the mountainous village. Dinh and his wife had two hectares of sweet passion fruit area which gave output of 50 tons. With the selling price of VND15,000-26,000 per kilogram, he collected VND800 million and made a profit of VND500 million.

Nguyen Thach Tung Linh, director of the passion fruit company in Moc Chau, Son La, said he began cooperating with local farmers to grow passion fruit in late 2019 and began harvesting in 2020. The total growing area has reached 100 hectares.

Linh found sweet passion fruit in 2017 when he implemented a project with a Taiwanese partner. At first, he developed five hectares of passion fruit for export to China. However, the products could only be exported across border gates, not through official channels. Therefore, he decided to focus on the domestic market.

Tam An